Oakland Raiders Fantasy Football Warm-Up

Everyone’s favorite sleeper pick the Oakland Raiders comes into the 2016 season with lofty expectations for the first time in well over a decade. Three consecutive off-seasons of building through the draft and acquiring key free agents has catapulted the Raiders franchise to a legitimate roster to be reckoned with. The “Big 3” on offense; Derek Carr, Latavius Murray and Amari Cooper were selected in three consecutive seasons but the most important positional group in the black hole is that beastial offensive line. The offensive line is the key to the fantasy success of the Big 3 and is the glue to making a good Raiders offense a great Raiders offense. There is extreme value in Oakland so pay attention come draft day.

WR Amari Cooper

The former Bama standout had no problem transitioning to the NFL and made defenders look silly trying to cover him. Cooper makes it look easy with his ballerina like footwork in and out of his breaks and his open field prowess to go the distance every time he touches the ball. What makes his rookie season even more ridiclous is that he played well over half the season with plantar fasciitis in his foot which limited his full potential. So what do you think Cooper will do for an encore this season now that he is healthy and has played a full season with Carr? BALL!!! Expect Cooper to put up WR1 numbers this season and be an excellent value pick in the third round of your fantasy draft.

RB Latavius Murray

Latavius Murray – Photo by Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

I get why folks are down on the former 6th round pick out of Central Florida. Plain and simple he wore down to the end of last season. Many fantasy experts point to his inefficiencies as a runner when looking inside the numbers, whether it be his minuscule yards after the contact average or his lack of big games, the hate is real for Murray. Oh and the new rhetoric is that the 5th round rookie DeAndre Washington is a better back and will give the Raiders a true three down player. Although I do think Washington will have a role in keeping Murray fresh for the entire season, I do not think Washington will be ready this season to stake claim as the lead back or even affect Murray’s fantasy value. Murray is a talented back who received 266 carries and 41 receptions last season and will be a great value pick in the 4th round of your fantasy draft. Don’t sleep on him or buy into all the negative banter you see on the internet. Save yourself the trouble and visit us right here at www.couchpotatogm.com.

QB Derek Carr

Derek Carr – Photo by John Rieger/USA TODAY Sports

If you are a savvy fantasy owner and want to stack your roster early with RBs and WRs and need a quarterback who almost threw for 4000 yards and 32 TDs last year, Derek Carr is your guy. I fully expect Carr to exceed 4000 yards this season and throw for another 30+ touchdowns. Not bad for a guy you can get after the 10th round in your league. A healthy Amari Cooper coupled with one of the league’s best offensive lines will keep Carr comfortable in the pocket to showcase his rocket arm and ability to put the right amount of touch on his passes. This time next season we will be talking about Carr as a Top 10 fantasy quarterback. Jump on the boat early and don’t miss out on what can truly be a special 2016 campaign.